The People's Joker

In a Gotham City where comedy has been outlawed, an aspiring clown named Joker the Harlequin struggles with her gender identity while trying to find a place in the last remaining comedy show in town. Her path puts her in conflict with a disturbed, caped vigilante who holds the city under his control. Vera Drew directs and stars in this animated film, which blends live action and other visual styles within a superhero setting.

The film sits early in Vera Drew's directing career, with Haunted Gay Ride Productions behind it. Drew shares screenplay credit with Bri LeRose, and Joey Lyons produced. Alongside Drew, the cast includes Griffin Kramer as the young Joker, Lynn Downey as the character's mother, Kane Distler as Mr. J, and Nathan Faustyn as Penguin, among a credited cast of 55. Running 92 minutes, it mixes animation with comedy, drama and fantasy.

Audience responses are moderate: on IMDb the film holds a 6.3 rating from roughly 2,200 votes, while on TMDB it averages 6.6 from a much smaller base. Critics were considerably warmer, with a 7.9 rating drawn from about 120 reviews, placing the critical consensus clearly above viewer scores.